Impressionist and Modern sales were held this week in London with strong results. Sotheby’s ended with $157,543,910 in sales and Christie’s ended at $227,111,142. The stars of both nights were artists we currently sell. Pablo Picasso's "Couple le Baiser" went for $10,621,070 which is 18 times higher than its previously recorded auction in 1993. Meanwhile, Picasso's "Homme a la Pipe et Nu Couche" sold for $7,800,591. Lastly, Picasso's "Jeune Fille Endormie" and "Femme Assise, Robe Bleue" respectively sold for $21,866,588 and $29,133,148.
Joan Miró’s abstraction "Femme a la Voix de Rossignol dans la Nuit” sold for $7,709,608 while Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec's "La Liseuse" sold for $9,165,339. "l'Empire des Lumieres," by René Magritte went for $3,888,313 and Pierre-Auguste Renoir's widely exhibited "La Source (Nu Allonge)" sold for $8,241,788.
European buyers have been dominating the sales, but U.S. buyers have made an impact as well. This only goes to show that art is a great investment at any price level, in any country. With the steady return of good sales, art is stronger than it has been in quite while.
